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SAN DIEGO--Following in the footsteps of rivals, Oracle is launching a Web services-based effort to make its business management applications more compatible with other business systems.
The Redwood City, Calif.-based company has released a new product called the Customer Data Hub, which is designed to help companies instantaneously gather information from Oracle systems and other business systems in one centralized place, Phillips said. The hub uses communication standards known as Web services to talk to incompatible applications and create a "system of record" for customer data, such as orders, contracts and service history, he added.
The emphasis on interoperability is new for Oracle, which has long said that mixing and matching incompatible technologies is generally a bad idea. But Phillips, speaking after the keynote speech to analysts and the media, acknowledged that hodgepodge technology is often unavoidable and that people have criticized Oracle for its earlier stance.
With the introduction of the new product, Phillips said, Oracle effectively recognizes one of the biggest problems plaguing the information technology industry--software programs that don"t work together. "The whole "i" word--integration--is off the table," as an issue that might deter a company from buying Oracle"s software, he said.
The new product may also help Oracle sell applications to companies using its rivals" products by making it easier to tie everything together, Phillips noted.
Oracle"s approach is different from that of its business software competitors because it uses its database and technology infrastructure as a foundation for the centralization tool, Phillips said. However, the release of the hub doesn"t mean that Oracle is moving away from its traditional approach.
"We still think an integrated suite is the best option," Phillips said, plugging Oracle"s set of programs. "This is an acknowledgement that some customers can"t get there as quickly." The price of the customer hub, which requires an Oracle database and application server, is still being determined, but will likely be based on the number of employees in a customer"s company, Phillips said.
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